Nephew Recounts Love And Generosity Of Champaign’s Youngest COVID-19 Victim
CHAMPAIGN – Over the weekend, family and friends of Joel Quintas gathered outside in Champaign to remember him and thank God for his life.
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Consulting Firm Launches Review Of Aleyah Lewis Arrest
A consulting firm whose founders include former Chicago police chief Terry Hillard is beginning an investigation into the the Urbana police arrest of Aleyah Lewis. Mayor Diane Marlin says she has signed a contract with security risk management firm Hillard Heintze to investigate both the April 10th arrest, and Urbana police operations and policies relevant…
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Hundreds March For Black Lives In Downtown Champaign
CHAMPAIGN – Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Champaign Sunday to march and rally for all Black lives, especially those in the LGBTQ community. The group Champaign All Black Lives Matter, along with the UP Center, organized the event, which started and finished at West Side Park. Organizer Enddy Almonord says Sunday’s event emphasized the…
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Farmers’ Struggles With Mental Health Increase Amid Pandemic
CHAMPAIGN — Meg Moynihan knows what it’s like to struggle. In 2016 she and her husband, who own an organic dairy farm in Minnesota, found themselves without a processor, which turns farm milk into a consumer product. Their farm was too far a drive for too little milk, they were told. They didn’t find another…
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Urbana City Council Devotes Special Meeting To Police Concerns
The Urbana City Council spent more than three hours Thursday night looking over police issues with members of the community. But council members have put off a discussion of next steps until July. The meeting, called by three city council members, Jared Miller, Maryalice Wu and Dennis Roberts, featured comments by both community members and…
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Local Nurses Plan Demonstration To Address Issues Of Racism In Health Care
URBANA – A group of local nurses is organizing an event Sunday aimed at raising awareness about how racism is a public health issue. The “White Coats For Black Lives” demonstration will take place at 1 pm Sunday at the Crystal Lake Park pavilion in Urbana. Champaign-Urbana nurse Cristina Kelly says recent protests against racial…
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Ask The Newsroom: Playgrounds Reopening, Nursing Home Visits, Weddings In Phase 4
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions from listeners to navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. In today’s edition of “Ask the Newsroom,” we sought answers — regarding the state’s moving into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan today — from Julie Pryde, administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public…
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News Around Illinois – June 26, 2020
Pritzker Touts Illinois Reopening As Other States Backtrack Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that the state is progressing much more quickly than expected into the fourth phase of his five-part Restore Illinois program in response to the coronavirus, a vaccination for which is still at least several months away. Pritzker and his state public health…
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Local Libraries Reopen After Pandemic-Driven Closures
URBANA – With libraries allowed to reopen under Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, both the Champaign Public Library and the Urbana Free Library open their doors to the public today after nearly four months of being closed. “We’re excited to reopen,” says Amanda Standerfer, Director of Development and Promotion at the Urbana Free…
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Champaign Park District Playgrounds, Basketball Courts Reopen Under Phase 4
CHAMPAIGN – Many state and local parks that remained open during Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan have seen high volumes of visitors anxious to get outside in recent weeks. As Illinois enters Phase 4 Friday, all outdoor recreation at parks can return, but some precautions will remain in place. Champaign Park District basketball…
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Urbana Civilian Police Review Board Chair Pledges Reform
The new chairman of the Urbana Civilian Police Review Board says he’s committed to fundamental reforms in the panel’s performance. Criticism of police conduct at recent Urbana City Council meetings has included the city’s Civilian Police Review board. At a meeting of the Urbana CPRB Wednesday night, Chairman Mikhail Lyubansky noted a list of criticisms…
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UPDATE: Champaign COVID-19 Testing Site To Remain Open With New Contractor
UPDATED June 25, 2020: C-U Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde says the Trump administration’s move to withdraw federal funding from some COVID-19 testing sites will not affect Champaign’s public drive-through testing site at Marketplace Mall. But come July, it will no longer be staffed by the Illinois National Guard. Pryde says she does not expect…
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News Around Illinois – June 25, 2020
Illinois Man Freed After 2008 Murder Conviction Gets Vacated SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois man is free after getting his 2008 murder conviction vacated following new evidence that revealed he was not responsible for the death of his infant son, partly because of efforts from a group in the state that’s cleared more than…
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Undocumented College Students Excluded From COVID-19 Relief Find Help From Their Schools
Even before the pandemic began, Lisbeth Hernandez says she was exhausted. Hernandez is heading into her senior year at Dominican University, a small Catholic college in Chicago’s western suburbs. Hernandez is undocumented, and she has temporary legal protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Even so, she’s unable to receive federal financial…
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Nitrate Pollution In Illinois Drinking Water Increasing, New Report Finds
CHAMPAIGN – Nitrate levels in Illinois drinking water continue to be an environmental health issue and in some areas are increasing, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The analysis gathered data on 10 largely agricultural states—including Illinois, Kansas and California—and found that many small, rural water systems have potentially unsafe…
